Which waterfall on the Zambezi River is shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe?

Victoria Falls is the waterfall on the Zambezi River shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The falls lie on the international border between the two countries, where the Zambezi plunges through a series of basalt gorges. The waterfall is about 1,708 metres wide, making it one of the world’s largest curtains of falling water. Its local names include Mosi-oa-Tunya, commonly translated as “The Smoke That Thunders,” and Shungu Namutitima.

Local communities knew the falls long before European exploration. Scottish missionary David Livingstone became the first recorded European to view them in 1855 and gave them the name Victoria Falls in honour of Queen Victoria. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe maintain protected areas and tourism facilities around the site.

A common mistake is to identify Livingstone, Zambia, or Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, as the waterfall itself. Those are nearby settlements; the waterfall is the shared natural landmark. Angel Falls is in Venezuela, Iguazu Falls is on the Argentina–Brazil border, and Niagara Falls is between the United States and Canada.